A Chain of Honor

"What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck."

Today is the anniversary of the day my parents were married.

Though they're both in heaven now, I think of them every day - and on this date they are front-of-mind. I used to get a floral bouquet for them each year to mark their wedding anniversary. After my mom died, I continued to send flowers to Dad on that day.

This photo of my folks was taken on their wedding day:

The last time I saw my father happened to be the day before their anniversary, September 19th, two years ago. I'd flown home to visit with him for the weekend; just before leaving for the airport, I presented him with his bouquet a day early. A little more than two months later, he died suddenly.

How blessed I am to have had the opportunity to give him those last flowers in person! How blessed I was to have been given those two wonderful people as my parents! I carry them with me in my heart. I've been pleasantly surprised how vibrantly present they are with me...via memories of things they said, or did, or things they taught me, or advice they gave me.

Though there are days when I would desperately like a chance to talk with them, still they remain very close - much more so than I would have expected. How true this excerpt from the Book of Proverbs has been for me:

My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

As I did last year, I'll pick up some flowers for my own home to commemorate this day.